NCAA Wrap Up

April 25, 2011

With the 2011 NCAA Division I regular season almost at an end, every team is looking to build momentum and solidify their spot in the NCAA Tournament. (Note: Rankings reflect the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. Players in
Bold are Cannons draftees.)

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This weekend’s action got underway on Friday night when #6 Maryland knocked off #10 North Carolina 7-6 in the first round of the ACC Tournament. The Tar Heels dominated for the majority of the contest, leading 4-1 at halftime and 6-2 after the third quarter, but couldn’t hold on for the victory. Maryland came alive in the fourth quarter, scoring five goals and holding UNC to only two shots. Senior attack Greg Catalino scored the game winning goal on a nifty behind the back shot with just over three minutes to play.

Maryland was led by sophomore attackman Owen Byle and junior middie Drew Snider with two goals each. Junior attackman Thomas Wood power UNC’s offense with two goals of his own.

Friday night’s second ACC Tournament game featured #7 Duke routing #9 Virginia by a final score of 19-10. UVA led 4-3 after the first quarter but Duke went on a 12-1 run over the next 23 minutes to pull away and lock up a birth in the ACC Championship.

Duke freshman attackman Jordan Wolf led all players in scoring with four goals and an assist while junior midfielder David Lawson had a career high four goals for the Blue Devils. Junior middie Colin Briggs continued his hot streak to lead the Cavaliers with two goals and three assists. 2011 ACC Player of the Year and UVA leading scorer Steele Stanwick was held without a point by the Blue Devil defense.

After their wins in the opening round, Maryland and Duke faced off on Sunday for the ACC Championship with the Terps winning 11-9 to claim the title. Duke led 5-2 after the first quarter but Maryland battled back to tie the game at six at halftime. Maryland’s defense played well in the second half to secure the victory.

Greg Catalino scored three goals for the Terps on his way to being named Player of the Tournament. Sophomore face-off man Curtis Holmes was important for Maryland, winning 18 of 24 draws. Senior attackman
Zach Howell and sophomore midfielder David Lawson each had three goals for Duke in the loss.

Saturday also featured games involving some marquee names in the ESPNU Warrior Classic in East Rutherford, CT. In the first game, #7 Hofstra blew out #15 UMass, 14-5. The Minutemen struggled all day on both sides of the ball in what some experts predicted to be an interesting match up.

Senior Jay Card and freshman Lance Yapor each scored five points to lead the Pride offense that could not be stopped, ripping off 47 shots in the game. Hofstra’s stand out goalie Andrew Gvozden played well, making seven saves. Art Kell was the one bright spot for the UMass offense as he picked up two goals.

In the Classic’s second game, #4 Syracuse remained unbeaten in Big East play, defeating Rutgers 12-2. Rutgers scored the first goal of the game but the Scarlet Knights were held off the board for more than 53 minutes as the Orange scored 11 straight goals.

Junior attackman Tommy Palasek scored a career high three goals and three assists filling in for the inured Tim Desko. JoJo Marasco also played well, scoring two goals and two assists. The Orange defense played very well between goals, forcing Rutgers into 24 turnovers while only allowing 16 shots. Will Mangan and Kory Kelly scored the goals for Rutgers.

Saturday also saw #2 Johns Hopkins take down in-state rival Navy by a final scored of 14-5. The Blue Jays scored 45 seconds into the game on their way to a 10-0 lead at halftime. The Midshipmen played better in the second half but couldn’t close the gap.

Attackmen Zach Palmer, one goal and five assists, and Kyle Wharton, four goals, powered a Hopkins’ attack that was dominant in the first half. Sophomore goalie Pierce Bassett played well, despite not facing many shots, making eight saves. Sam Jones and Sean Dinn each picked up a goal and an assist for Navy in the loss.